Machine for cutting leather



(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet V1.

- f ,.H.4 B XLEY. Machinefor Cutting Leather, 8m. No.'239,475. Patented `March 29,1881.

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(No Model.) l

H BXLEY. Machine for Cutting Leather, 8vo.-

NQ. 239,475. Patent-ed March 29,1881.'

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lHENRY EXLEY, OF MARLBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING LETHER, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part` of Letters Patent No. 239,475, dated March 29, 1881.

` Application filed February 21, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY EXLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marlborough, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cutting Leather, Leather-Board, Cloth, Rubber, Paper, Svc.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in l the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, and to the letters or 1i gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to amachine for cutting leather formsfor shoes or other purposes, where quantities of such forms are desired; and the novelty consists in the construction and arrangement of parts as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims. t

The object of the invention is to operate a vertically-reciprocating platen by toggle-leversproperly braced, each end having a recess, in

which operates a vertically-adjustable table or base, upon which the material to be cut is placed, and the adjustment is obtained by means of a screw-rod and windlass-disk.

Journaled in the standards is an operatingshaft carrying upon .one end a rigid brakewheel, upon the other extremity a frictionclutch anda loose pulley, for connection to the motor, by belts or otherwise, and between the standardswith duplex pinions, which mesh with cog-wheels rigid upon ashaft above, also l journaled in the standards of the frame. Upon each end of this latter shaft is rigidly secured a wheel having a pin eccentrically arranged, to which is loosely attached a link connecting with a toggle-lever. The upper levers are secured irmly to the standards at the top, and are pivoted to the lower levers by the same bolt which secures them to the link which connects them to the eccentrics, and pivoted below to a frame having a dovetailed recess, which receives a correspondingly-formed projection upon the standards, upon which said frame reciprocates as in guides. To this frame, one upon each end, `is secured a rod, which extends upward and is adjustably secured to a vertically-reciprocating platen. There being two rods to each frame, it will be understood that the four rods are secured to the platen,one at each corner, and as the reciprocation of the frames is forced by arbitrary gear, the consequent reciprocation of the platen is .absolutely the same at all points. The platen performs one complete upward movement and return with each revolution of the eccentrics; and to provide that there shall be a pause at each time that the platen reaches its highest point, to allow the operator to remove the forms already cut and to supply other material at will, I provide means for releasing the power.

Pivovted to a cross-barof the standards isa treadle, which connects by alink with an arm properly pivoted in the frame and carrying a rigid lever having upon one end a friction-roll, which operates to traverse the surface of one of the eccentric-wheels, to lforce the frictionclutch into operation with, thc power-pulley when the platen is makingits downward and return movement, and which rests within a recess in the eccentric-wheel at each revolution thereof, to throw the friction4clutch out of operation. A spring upon thetreadle forces the roll into the recess, which insures the disengagement of the clutch with the power-pulley, allowing the pulley to revolve idly while the platen is at rest.

To insure against the momentum ot' the revolving paris carrying the eccentrics past the disengaging-recess, I provide a pin, which projects from the reciprocating frame at the opposite end of the machine, which pin oper-` ates upon a spring-brake at each upward traverse of the platen, to force said brake against a brake-wheel upon the operating-shaft in such a manner and with such force as to overcome the momentum and insure the pause or rest of the platen, as described.

The cutting knives or dies are held by the IOO n operator in proper position upon the material,

and several patterns may bjc employed upon the same material at the saine or at different actions of the platen, the operator changing the die at will.

The device is useful for cutting other material than leathcr--such as paper, cloth, rubber, Snc.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a rear elevation; Fig. 2, an end elevation with the power-pulley removed; Fig. 3, a view, in elevation, of the opposite end; Fig. 4, a longitudinal vertical section; and Figs. 5,6, and 7, detail views.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the main frame, the important parts of which, in this description, are the ends or standards A'AZ, the former being the end to which the power is applied.

Journaled at a, in the frame A is the operating-shaft B, having a rigid brake-wheel, b, at one extremity, afriction-clutch, b', near the opposite end, and pinions b2 at intervening points between the standards, all these features being rigid with the shaft B. The clutch b' operates within an annular recess, c, in a loose power-pulley, C, and within an annular recess, b", upon the shank of the clutch b' operate the duplex arms d of a clutch-lever, D, pivoted at d' to a bracket, (Z2, secured to the frame A' upon a shaft, d3, with which it is rigid. The upper end of the lever D is provided with a friction-roll, d4, which is adapted toy operate in relation to a wheel, E, having a pin, c, arranged to give a crank motion to a pitman, E',

' which connects with toggle-levers, as shown,

and is provided upon its inner surface with a recess, e', in which the roll d4 rests when the clutch is disengaged. As the wheel E is revolved the roll d4 rides up one side of the recess e', the clutch having been thrown into engagement with the power-pulley by means of a treadle, F, pivoted at f, and connected to the shaft d3 by a link,f', and an arm,j`2, aspring, f3, serving with a constant force to hold the roll d4 against the crank-wheel E. rIhis wheel E is hung rigidly upon a shaft, G, journaled in the frame A atg, and carrying upon its opposite end a similar crank-wheel, E2, having a similar pitman, E3, connecting the crank-pin with toggle-levers H, the connection being the same upon both ends. The togglelevers H are pivoted above at h tothe upper portion of the frame at h' together, and to the pitmen E' E3, and below at h2 to vert-ically-reciprocating frames I I', each having a dovetailed recess, z', which receives a correspondingly-formed projection, i', upon the outer surface of the frame A', the frame I' being located upon the standard A2, and having a pin, i2, which, upon the upward motion of the frame, throws a springbrake, K, into operation with the brake-wheel b.

Secured to each of the frames I I' are two vertical rods, L, which are adj ustably secured above to the four corners of aplaten, M. The

shaft G carries cog-wheels G', which mesh with the pinions bZ upon the operating-shaft B and serve to transmit motion to the platen M.

N represents the table or base upon which the material is placed to be cut, and it is'vertically adjustable by means of screw-rods N', which operate in threaded projections upon the standards A A2.

It will be observed, rst, that the treadle is only employed for an instant, or only long enough to throw the clutch in operation; second, that the clutch is thereafter held in operation by the roll d4 acting upon the wheelE until the roll is forced in the recess e' by the action of the spring f3,- third, thatthe momentum is overcome by the action of the automatic spring-brake K; fourth, that the toggle-levers are operated by arbitrary mechanisms, and that they exerta maximum of force with a minimum of power during the cutting process; fifth, that the table is adjustable to suit quantities and qualities of material at will; sixth, that the platen is removable and adjustable; seventh, that the operating mechanism stops automatically at each complete operation at the dcsired point for changing material 5 eighth, that the completeV operation is automatic, except the voluntary act of the operator upon the treadle to throw the clutch in operation.

What I claim as new is- 1. In a leather-cutting machine, the combination of a pulley, a friction clutch, and a clutch-shifting lever with a crank-wheel having a recess, a roll upon the lever, a treadle, a spring, and suitable connecting mechanisms, as set forth, for the purpose specified.`

2. The combination of the pulley, the clutch, the recessed crank-wheel, and spring-treadle with the brake-wheel, spring-brake, and means for automatically operating the same, as specied.

3. The frame A, having dovetailed projections i', in combination with the reciprocating frames I I', having dovetailed recesses i, the rods L, platen M, toggle-levers H, and operating mechanism.

4.. The frames I I', toggle-levers H, platen M, and adjusting-rods L, combined with the pitmen E' E3, crank-wheels E E2, and means forautomatically stopping the operating mech-l anisms at the last of cach complete recipro cation of the pla-ten, as specified.

5. The power-pulley C, friction-clutch b', and lever D, having friction-roll d, combined with crank-wheel E e, having recess e', treadle F, spring f3, link f', and arm f2, as specified.

6. The frame I', having pin i?, in combination with the spring-brake K, brake-wheel b, shaft B, clutch and lever, crank-wheel E c', spring f3, and operating and connecting mechanism, as specified.

7. The treadle F f, spring f3, link f', and arm f 2, combined with the rock-shaft d3, clutchlever D, roll d", and crank-wheel E e e', as and for the purposes set forth.

S. The standards A' A2, having recesses, as

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shown, combined with the vertically-adjustatreadle E, with its connections, as and for the 1o ble table N and screw-rods N', and with an purposes specied. adjustable reciprocating platen, M, as and for In testimony whereof I aftx my signature the purposes set forth. in presence ot' two Witnesses. 5 9. The sha-ft B, brake-wheel b, spring-brake K, frames I I', the latter having pin ft2, pin- HENRY EXLEY ions b2, pulley C c, and clutch b', combined Witnesses: with the shaft G, gears G', crank-wheels E E2, A. A. KENRICK,

pitrnen E'ES, toggles H, platen M, rods L, and JOHN S. FAY. 

